


one dance, one dance to make up for all the times i wasn't there

by takethebreadsticksandRUN



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Dancing, F/M, M/M, The Mechanisms AU, i literally have nothing to say for myself, jon is awkward, martin is baby, not!sasha never happened, please and thank you, the archives squad having soft moments, tim IS the love interest what are you talking about
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:15:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24563713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takethebreadsticksandRUN/pseuds/takethebreadsticksandRUN
Summary: One time Jon refused to dance and one time he begged to.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/ Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Sasha James/Tim Stoker
Comments: 19
Kudos: 105





	1. shut up and dance

**Author's Note:**

> hi  
> i literally have nothing to say for myself  
> i cannot finish a series to save my life  
> anywayssss hope you enjoy please comment and kudo y'all make my day!

Once, the Archives had been cold. Empty. A place where life couldn’t grow stamped out by the oppressive walls. The doors slammed too loud, even the windows felt aggressive.

Jon remembered this.

But as he sat in the break room, Tim on the arm of his chair, watching Sasha twirl Martin around in rhythmic circles, he felt peaceful. Calm, even.

Tim stared at the dancing pair, mesmerized. His eyes followed the graceful movements of her entire body, fluid from wrists to toes.

“And-a-one, and-a-two, and-a ouch you stepped on my toes,” Sasha laughed as she counted out loud.

“Sorry! Sorry,” Martin tried to pull away, embarrassed, but she wouldn’t let go.

“Uh uh, you don’t get off that easy, mister!” She smiled and continued to dance, keeping time for lack of music.

“Okay, _fine…_ ” He sighed, pretending to be reluctant. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face though.

“You sure you don’t want me to teach you guys?” Sasha asked, looking hopeful.

“Nah, I’m good to just watch,” Tim said.

“I don’t dance,” Jon mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

Her voice singsong, she said, “That trick doesn’t work here! I happen to know for a fact, _Captain D’Ville_ , you have many hidden talents.”

“First mate, actually,” he corrected without thinking. Martin laughed as Jon blushed. “I don’t dance, really, Sasha.”

“Okay, okay, fine.”

“Tim? Where’s your excuse?”

“I have a disease that prevents me from dancing. If I even try, a demon is summoned to chop off my legs. I already lost my left one,” Tim said, completely deadpan, patting his calf.

“S u r e…” But she let the matter drop as Martin attempted to dip her.

The impromptu dance party ended in a fit of laughter when they waltzed into Elias who, looking startled, hurried back to his office without asking questions.

“Did you- did you see his face?” Sasha asked, slightly breathless, from her seat on the floor.

“Wish I had a camera,” Tim groaned.

“Oh well.” She shot to her feet, suddenly energized. “Time to get back to work then, I think? Jon, Tim, Martin,” she winked, “Excellent dancing, love.”

With a final twirl of her skirt, she swished out of the room and down the hall.

Tim watched her go, a mixture of longing and mirth on his face. “She’s really something else, huh?” he said, absent-mindedly.

“Yeah she is. Where does she get all that energy?” Martin stretched his back, “Five minutes of that and I’m already falling apart!”

“Black magic?” Jon suggested drily.

“Black magic, definitely.”

“Tim, your eyes are literal hearts right now.” Martin waved his hand in front of his face. He didn’t react. He was about to turn to Jon to say something about lovestruck pining (as if he can talk) when Tim surfaced.

“She’s just so perfect! I want to protect her with every fiber of my being,” he said with an energetic seriousness.

“Protect her?” Jon asked, “Tim, she could literally _rip you in half_.”

“ _I know that._ Protect her emotionally, you dolt.”

Jon turned to Martin as if to say, _can you believe this?_ only to see the softest expression on his face.

_Just another day at the Archives,_ he thought ruefully.


	2. close your eyes and pretend the world doesn't exist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon has a request.
> 
> OR
> 
> Character development baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is postseason five and the inevitable happy ending. everything is perfect and happy and fluffy except jon has ptsd because ya know...  
> jonny and alex?  
> anyways i hope y'all enjoy!  
> xxx

“Jon, unresponsive is no way to meet the world.”

The bed was warm. When Martin sat up he felt the cold begin to envelop his body. Just cold, not Lonely cold. It was a nice change of pace, but still, the blankets beckoned.

But he had more pressing matters to deal with.

Namely, a boyfriend in the midst of an anxiety spiral.

“Babe…” He shoved aside the covers and padded over to where Jon was sitting, cross legged with closed eyes, on the floor. He startled under Martin’s hand, tensing and then relaxing.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t be awake.”

“Dreams again?”

He nodded sharply _once, twice_.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Martin asked, concern and a touch of frustration in his voice.

“I didn’t want to bother anybody.”

“We’ve been over this. If you’re not feeling okay, I want to know. If you are unhappy, you can always talk to me. Jon, I’m _here for you_.”

“I know, I know, it’s just…I don’t want to be too much, you know?” He opened his eyes, green eyes that Martin loved oh-so-much. “You deserve better,” he whispered quietly, not trusting his voice to be steady.

“Oh, love,” He wrapped Jon up into a big bear hug, lifting him off the floor and onto his lap. He tucked his head against Martin’s chest, breathing deep. “I love you. I love you so much. I need you to talk to me, just let me in, okay?”

“Okay,” he whispered.

“So what’s going on?”

“Oh, the usual. Overthinking, anxiety, guilty about the whole Tim/Sasha/summoning the apocalypse thing.”

“We saved the world. Do you think that balances everything out? Just a little bit?”

Jon buried his face in Martin’s neck, clasping his hands together. “I-guess? But try telling that to my crippling sense of guilt.”

He could feel the sad sigh beneath him and tightened his hold on the beautiful broken man in his arms. “What can I do to help?”

Jon pulled back, his eyes searching. He paused, hesitant, before speaking bashfully, “Dance with me,” he pleaded, his tone urgent now, “Dance with me and pretend the world doesn’t exist.”

Martin laughed softly, getting to his feet and pulling Jon with him. “Done and done. Mr. Sims, may I have this dance?”

He took the outstretched hand and began to sway to music only they could hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not beta read so if there is anything wrong let me know please!


End file.
